Suri Portraits by Piper Mackay

Inspired by their environment of wild trees, exotic flowers and lush vegetation.

The Suri tribe use the clay soil of bright yellows, startling whites and rich earth-reds to paint each other’s bodies and make bold decisions about their outfits.

They are the only tribe in existence that makes large elaborate headpieces from nature. In essence, they become a walking body of art; known as a living museum to anthropologists. For generations, these tribes have been shielded from the modern world in a place that is still raw, natural, and completely timeless.

Piper Mackay’s intrepid journey as an African wildlife and cultural photographer has taken her on adventures spanning the African continent; a land she fell in love with when she first stepped foot on its rich red soil.  Driven to create compelling imagery and stories that make a difference, her work breaks expectations by moving away from the beaten path, immersed in the cultures and wild environments she is photographing. Her passion for the natural world has grown into a lifelong commitment to inspire others to explore, respect and preserve the beauty of our fragile planet.

About Piper Mackay

Piper Mackay’s intrepid journey as an African wildlife and cultural photographer has taken her on adventures spanning the African continent; a land she fell in love with when she first stepped foot on its rich red soil. She instantly made the decision to change her life’s direction and created an exit plan to leave behind a successful career in the fashion industry.Driven to create compelling imagery and stories that make a difference, her work breaks expectations by moving away from the beaten path, immersed in the cultures and wild environments she is photographing. Her passion for the natural world has grown into a lifelong commitment to inspire others to explore, respect and preserve the beauty of our fragile planet. Using this same passion and drive, she was able to overcome a decade of challenging obstacles and finally realize her dream of living, and thriving, in Kenya.

She believes compelling work comes when you invest time, living the stories you are trying to tell. It is important to interact and gain the trust of those whose stories you are telling, especially when sensitive and complicated. The world has enough images of poverty, pain and disaster, much more needful is imagery that reveals the beauty that is worth protecting. Powerful images help shape the view of the world and play an important role in disseminating how wildlife and cultures are coping with the rapid changes happening in the developing world.

Piper’s photographs are licensed by Getty Images top collections. Featured articles of her work have been printed in national publications such as; National Geographic Traveler, Outdoor Photographer, Nature Photographer, Wild Planet Magazine, Ranger Finder, and Selamata, as well as, local travel and online magazines. Her images have grace the pages of Natures Best, National Geographic, National Geographic Explorer, WWF calendars, birders and numerous travel publications. Her images have been on exhibit at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington DC, The Museum of History and industry in Seattle Washington, The Art Wolfe gallery, The G2 Galley and are hanging in private collections around the world.
Her prior career in the fashion industry, where she was deeply involved with combing color and texture, has greatly enhanced her approach to the unique look and feel of each culture and photographic subject. This also gave her a strong background in business and marketing. [Official Website]